Why teachers should design their own materials?

   

Key words when designing our own materials.

   Although many teachers prefer to use exclusively the coursebook in their lessons, nowadays we have access to a wonderful digital world in which we have the possibility to create our own material. As with everything, it may have advantages and disadvantages but it is crucial to understand how important designing material is.

    Designing materials gives the teacher the chance to contextualize their materials to the group and needs of students. By creating our own way of working, we can give out personal touch to our teaching. (Block, 1991) Students may feel more engaged and motivated if they think that we are interested in their lessons. What’s more, we do not only produce one skill at a time, integration is the key factor in order to give learners the opportunity to integrate all the skills. (Bell and Gower, 1998)

    It happened to us when we were in charge of a group of adolescents who used to work with copies from a book. We decided to try something different. We planned some activities based on a well-known song. They immediately engaged and got involved in the tasks. It was such a satisfying experience.

   Even though it could demand some time, the teacher should bear in mind that the materials may be authentic and attractive. (Harmer, 1998) Moreover, they should contain appropriate instructions with concise, clear and efficient steps for students to have better experiences. 

     What can be seen in the picture is a combination of key words and concepts that every educator should bear in mind when designing their own materials. Some of them have already been explained in this article. Every one of them should be given equal importance in order to engage and motivate students. 

   To conclude, we think that the designing of material is a crucial factor in terms of language learning as students are not motivated enough. The teacher needs to be aware of the difficulties of the students in order to offer various activities to enrich the learning experience.

Reference:

> Bell, J. & Gower, R. (1998) Materials Development in Language Teaching. (pp. 116-129). Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

> Block, D. (1991) Some thoughts on DIY materials design. ELT journal, 211-217.

> Harmer, J. (1998) How to Teach English. Harlow, Essex. Pearson Educational Ltd.